1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a veil-like garment adapted to be worn about the head and shoulders of a user to protect clothing that is being put on or removed from becoming soiled by contact with the user's cosmetics, facial oils, perfumes or hair dressing. Further, this invention will prevent the garment, while being drawn on or removed, from becoming torn or snagged as a result of entanglement with any jewelry worn by the user, such as a necklace or earrings. This invention relates to a garment that can be made economically, that provides for comfortable and convenient use, and that can be disposable. The garment is particularly well suited for use in the retail garment sales industry.
The retail garment sales industry incurs an enormous expense annually resulting from customers soiling garments unintentionally while trying these garments on. Although the problem is experienced by stores ranging from large department stores to the small boutique, it is particularly vexatious to those small exclusive dress shops that handle a small volume of more expensive garments. The soiling results from contact between the garment and the customer'hair and face. Cosmetics, lipstick, hairspray, facial oil and perfume odors can be readily transferred to a fine garment through inadvertent contact. This soiling will necessitate either the mark down of the garment's sales price or dry cleaning which will prevent the garment from being sold as a new garment.
2. Prior Art
Devices to prevent the soiling of garments which are designed to cover the hair and face of the customer have generally been cumbersome to don, uncomfortable to wear, and complex in construction.
Patents of interest are the Taylor U.S. Pat. No. 2,017,328, the Gettinger design U.S. Pat. No. D 205,829, and the Gladstone U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,027. The patent to Taylor teaches a garment protector that is reversible and features a ring with a number of snaps, which ring can be adjusted to be large or small to fit about the head or neck of the user depending upon whether a garment is being put on or removed. The design patent to Gettinger depicts a protective hood with a cord for tying the bottom of the garment around the neck. The patent to Gladstone teaches the provision of an elastic band in the neck area that permits initial expansion of a bottom aperture for placing the garment over the head of the user.